We are used to seeing the STAND League put out crap about Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and other critics of Scientology. That is, at most, half of the story. The other half is represented by the article below.

In a May meeting with the Turkish prime minister, President Trump made a special appeal for the release of Andrew Brunson. Pastor Brunson has been an American Protestant missionary in Turkey for over 20 years, but was recently imprisoned as a “security risk.” This is obviously the politicizing of a religious group for the sake of repression, but it bodes of something bigger.

Living as we do in a Western nation, it may seem unbelievable that criminalizing Christians for practicing their religion is a growing trend. We think of Christian values and practices as touching every modern society, but in some nations where Christianity was widely accepted or, at the least, tolerated, there has been a distinct shift toward limiting the rights of its believers or driving them out of the country altogether.

The persecution of Christians is as old as, well, Christianity. The difference is that where Caesar publicly threw believers to the lions, modern governments hide their discrimination behind accusations of subversion, terrorism, political dissent, criminality or blasphemy.

Covering religious bias with any label—“security concerns,” “anti-terrorism,” “anti-cult” and so on—creates the perception that something is being protected, that this bias is not bigotry, it is humanitarianism.

The purpose of the Notre Dame/Georgetown study was to look at how Christians are responding to the discrimination they now face. In National Review, senior fellow Kathryn Jean Lopez called for more attention and more action on the persecution of Christians worldwide.

We are used to seeing the the STAND League put out crap about Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and other critics of Scientology. That is, at most, half of the story. The other half is represented by the article below.

In a May meeting with the Turkish prime minister, President Trump made a special appeal for the release of Andrew Brunson. Pastor Brunson has been an American Protestant missionary in Turkey for over 20 years, but was recently imprisoned as a “security risk.” This is obviously the politicizing of a religious group for the sake of repression, but it bodes of something bigger.

Living as we do in a Western nation, it may seem unbelievable that criminalizing Christians for practicing their religion is a growing trend. We think of Christian values and practices as touching every modern society, but in some nations where Christianity was widely accepted or, at the least, tolerated, there has been a distinct shift toward limiting the rights of its believers or driving them out of the country altogether.

The persecution of Christians is as old as, well, Christianity. The difference is that where Caesar publicly threw believers to the lions, modern governments hide their discrimination behind accusations of subversion, terrorism, political dissent, criminality or blasphemy.

Covering religious bias with any label—“security concerns,” “anti-terrorism,” “anti-cult” and so on—creates the perception that something is being protected, that this bias is not bigotry, it is humanitarianism.

The purpose of the Notre Dame/Georgetown study was to look at how Christians are responding to the discrimination they now face. In National Review, senior fellow Kathryn Jean Lopez called for more attention and more action on the persecution of Christians worldwide.

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *

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Because Scientology engages in an extraordinarily disproportionate degree of criminal
and fraudulent behavior when compared with other religions, OSA just loves
to create a smokescreen of confusion that conflates belief with behavior.

This is a critical distinction; and the standard OSA attack lines of "bigotry" and "intolerance"
are laughable, especially when the public exposure of Scientology's criminal, fraudulent or
abusive behavior are being disclosed.

In this particular instance they're trying to piggyback and position themselves on a genuine issue
for entirely self-serving reasons, and not because they care, even slightly, about the
persecution of Christians.

OSA actively monitors sites like ESMB and the underground bunker and tries to pre-empt
valid criticisms before they gain traction.

Because Scientology engages in an extraordinarily disproportionate amount of criminal, and fraudulent behavior
when compared with other religions, OSA loves to create a smokescreen of confusion that conflates belief with behavior.

It is a critical distinction; and OSA charges of "bigotry" and "intolerance" are laughable especially when exposure of Scientology's criminal, fraudulent or abusive behavior are alleged.

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Except the article excerpted in the OP does not say anything about bigotry, intolerance or persecution against Scientology. It addresses bigotry, intolerance and persecution against Christians worldwide.

I am not arguing that the Church of Scientology actually cares about Christians, or any religion other than Scientology or Scientologists. I am arguing that effective public relations and alliance building should be recognized as effective public relations and alliance building.

I guess I am trying to get people here to notice and confront an area where I believe the Church of Scientology is being effective, or may be effective in the future -- i.e., alliance building with the Christian Right, Christianity more generally, and other religions still more generally. I see a lot of efforts in that area -- e.g., my posts about the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office signing onto religious liberty and civil rights letters, as well as Church and STAND League blogging on these subjects. Personally, I don't believe it wise to ignore or make light of this Scientology activity.

Except the article excerpted in the OP does not say anything about bigotry, intolerance or persecution against Scientology. It addresses bigotry, intolerance and persecution against Christians worldwide.

I am not arguing that the Church of Scientology actually cares about Christians, or any religion other than Scientology or Scientologists. I am arguing that effective public relations and alliance building should be recognized as effective public relations and alliance building.

I guess I am trying to get people here to notice and confront an area where I believe the Church of Scientology is being effective, or may be effective in the future -- i.e., alliance building with the Christian Right, Christianity more generally, and other religions still more generally. I see a lot of efforts in that area -- e.g., my posts about the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office signing onto religious liberty and civil rights letters, as well as Church and STAND League blogging on these subjects. Personally, I don't believe it wise to ignore or make light of this Scientology activity.

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I agree, and I'm neither ignoring or making light of it; it's disheartening that people like Franklin Graham have been bamboozled by Scientology's bullshit.

I guess I am trying to get people here to notice and confront an area where I believe the Church of Scientology is being effective, or may be effective in the future -- i.e., alliance building with the Christian Right, Christianity more generally, and other religions still more generally. I see a lot of efforts in that area -- e.g., my posts about the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office signing onto religious liberty and civil rights letters, as well as Church and STAND League blogging on these subjects. Personally, I don't believe it wise to ignore or make light of this Scientology activity.

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I see a contradiction here, and maybe it is easily explained for exes, but for me it is a riddle...
We are used to see that everything David Miscavige does in regards to PR and "handling" critics, more or less turns out to be a "foot bullet", his actions appear stubborn and outdated as is Hubbard's playbook to which he clings on, and with the help of the internet, each aggressive and insidious move creates just more and more criticism of CoS.
Except these programs, maybe. I can see how that positioning of CoS with other cults and religions does make sense, from a machiavellian perspective.
So I wonder who is responsible for these actually "machiavellian" (long-term effective) moves. It has to have David Miscavige's stamp of approval on some level, as he is micromanaging so much of the organization, but is it, too, the lawyers who are stepping in? Might he be consulting with PR professionals? Or can it be said that these moves are based on something in Hubbard's written and recorded "legacy"?

Because Scientology engages in an extraordinarily disproportionate degree of criminal
and fraudulent behavior when compared with other religions, OSA just loves
to create a smokescreen of confusion that conflates belief with behavior.

I guess I am trying to get people here to notice and confront an area where I believe the Church of Scientology is being effective, or may be effective in the future -- i.e., alliance building with the Christian Right, Christianity more generally, and other religions still more generally. I see a lot of efforts in that area -- e.g., my posts about the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office signing onto religious liberty and civil rights letters, as well as Church and STAND League blogging on these subjects. Personally, I don't believe it wise to ignore or make light of this Scientology activity.

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I agree it is unwise to ignore this activity.

CoS has not produced a single Clear or OT in 65+ years but they're quite effective with Religious Cloaking Tech, and alliance building.

I'm thinking that they can see the writing on the wall. Some of the media and Hollywood has lost their fear of the CoS and things have gotten bad for them on a PR front, with each year being worse then the one prior.

Their defense is the religious shield they use whenever possible, and that shield gets stronger when they ally themselves with real religious groups who are being subjected to (or fear) persecution.

What Churchill wrote above is exactly right.

A possible handling to counter this tactic from CoS would be to compile a briefing that could be sent to Franklin Graham and other religious leaders, making them understand the true nature of the CoS and what they're attempting to do.

While there's a number of individuals within the ASC (Anti-Scientology Community) who could competently do this it can also be done as a collaborative effort, either here on ESMB or elsewhere, such as within a private FB group.

Once it's done it can be shared with the entire community to be sent to all religious leaders everywhere, and the general public as well.